basic terms Flashcards
(56 cards)
APPEASEMENT
A political policy of conceding to aggression by another nation
AUTHORITARIAN STATE
An authoritarian state is one in which political power is concentrated in an institution not accountable to the people of that state (e.g. North Korea or Saudi Arabia).
BALANCE OF POWER
A condition in which no one state predominates over others, tending to create general equilibrium and curb the hegemonic ambitions of all states.
BILATERAL
A term that refers to relations between two states. Thus, a bilateral agreement is one that is made between two states.
BIPOLAR WORLD ORDER
A global system in which power is concentrated around two na3ons (or poles). During the Cold War, the United States and Soviet Union formed a bipolar world order.
BUSH DOCTRINE
The doctrine, not always precisely formulated, that preemptive military action, possibly aimed at achieving regime change, should be taken against states thought to be threatening the USA through the development of weapons of mass destruction and/or by harbouring terrorists.
CAPITALISM
The key features of capitalism as an economic system are that it is one in which: the profit motive is the overwhelming motivation for economic activity; property is privately owned; and a free market determines the supply and price of goods.
COLLECTIVE SECURITY
The idea or practice of common defence, in which a number of states pledge themselves to defend each other, based on the principle of ‘all for one and one for all’
COLONIALISM
The process of a state seeking to establish or maintain control over other territories or peoples. This is often with the aim of promoting an economic benefit to the colonising power. Examples of former colonial powers include Britain and France. The extent to which they are still colonial powers is a matter of debate.
COMMUNISM
A political system, based on the work of Karl Marx, in which property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their needs and abilities.
COMPELLENCE
A tactic or strategy designed to force an adversary to make concessions against its will through war or the threat of aggression
CONSTITUTION
A set of fundamental principles or precedents that set out how a state should be governed.
CONSTITUTIVE THEORY OF STATEHOOD
A theory that states are only states because they are recognised as such by other states. This is opposed to the declarative theory of statehood.
CORE (NORTH)
This is a term taken from the core/periphery model which, essentially, argues that the global north is the economic core of the global system as opposed to the economic periphery made up of states from the global south.
CREDIBILITY
The willingness of countries to carry through with its use of power such as weapons or resources.
DETERRENCE
Deterrence refers to the principle that a state can be discouraged or deterred from acting another state, usually due to the relative military strength of that state
DEMOCRACY
A democratic state is one in which power resides with the people (electorate) and is exercised by them through their elected agents. This is a form of indirect democracy. Theoretically, it is also applicable to direct democracy but, with the exception of referenda, this is rare in the modern global system
DIPLOMACY
Diplomacy refers to the process by which states manage their international relations. This is almost always carried out by professional diplomats although there are notable exceptions, such as politically appointed ambassadors by the US in some circumstances.
ENVIRONMENTALISM
This is a political and ethical movement seeking to protect and improve the quality of the environment through changes to harmful human activity. NGOs such as Greenpeace as well as various green political parties demonstrate a commitment to environmentalism.
EXTERNAL SOVEREIGNTY
This concept contrasts with internal sovereignty. Internal sovereignty refers to the supreme authority of a state within its territory while external sovereignty means that other states acknowledge the state’s internal sovereignty.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
The European Commission (EC) is one of the
institu3ons of the European Union (EU). It is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding EU treaties and carrying out the day to day business of the union. The EC consists of 28 commissioners drawn from all EU member states.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
The European Parliament is one of the institutions of the EU. It is the primary legislative body in the EU whose members are directly elected by national electorates.
EUROPEAN UNION
An economic and political union of 28 countries in Europe, many of which also share a common currency. The UK is currently in the process of withdrawing from the European Union. This process is commonly known as Brexit.
EXECUTIVE
The branch of government responsible for puttng policies and laws into practical effect. Not to be confused with the other two branches of government, the Judiciary and Legislature.
